Earth Eternal: The Rise of Anarchy!
by Kormiak Rue
Summary: A young soldier is called upon to track down a violent madman, with a penchant for comedy...
1. Prolouge

_Note: 200 years after the events Heart of Shadows, a new villain rises, and a new hero must rise to stop him, this is..._

Earth Eternal:

The Rise of Anarchy!

PROLOGUE:

THE MAGE'S WARNING

Merlin, ancient and wise, stood at the base of Hadrian's Wall, in the north of Anglorum, watching his prised student. He was trying, and failing, to convince the Elders that the Wall was defective, that several of the charms taht helped to guard them against the Faeries on the other side were weak, and prone to malfunction. They simply laughed at him, and brushed him aside. As they left, Merlin walked over to the dejected young Feline, and put his hand on his shoulder. "'Tis alright, young one...You'll get another chance." The cat looked up with a shine in his eyes. "Not if this wall fails...If that happens, none of us will get another chance, at anything." Merlin looked at the Apprentice as he walked over and looked up at the Wall. Worry burrowed deep into his heart.

The young Apprentice stood once more beneath the Wall. Now, the moon shone bright onto the landscape, and he was alone, but for his ritual tools. If they wouldn't listen, he would show them. He would crack the Wall. Just a crack, not enough to make invasion from the other side possible, just enough to allow a peek through. He worked his ritual, uttering the words of power over the pot of ingredients. At the final word, he unleashed his magic, and one of the charms on the wall cracked, and dulled. He stood breathing, triumph in his heart, when suddenly there was a bright flash of light, and he saw a figure step towards him, all shadow and gleaming teeth. His scream spilt the night air, but no one heard...


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER I:

EVERYTHING MUST GO!

_Camelot, 100 years later._

It was a pleasent day, as Marian walked into the bank, near the main gate of the city, and nodded to her cousin, the clerk, and stopped at the back of a reletively short line. She looked around and was surprised to see a clown in the corner. He was a feline, face painted white, with an overlay of bright green forming a large grin, and comical spirals around his eyes. He wore a fancy waistcoat in the colors of the harlequin, and a pair of breeches and a lace shirt, also gaily colored. The tips of his ears and tail were also dyed green, and his nose was bright red, his hands and feet were bright purple, and he was smiling and handing out fliers.

COME ONE, COME ALL!

SEE THE CIRCUS OF A THOUSAND LIGHTS!

FREE ADMISSION ON THE NIGHT OF THE KING'S BIRTHDAY!

Beneath this was a picture of a clown standing on his head, laughing broadly. As he passed out the final flier, he suddenly seemed to start choking, his face in his hands. People gathered around, trying to help him, and Marian was one of the first in. Suddenly the clown retched hard, and held out his hands revealing a set of mechanical, chattering teeth. "Anyone care for a bite! HEEEhehehehahahahahaaaaa!" He said, letting out a loud, maniacal giggle, and proceeded to dance out of the bank, throwing the teeth over his shoulder as he went. They sailed comically through the air, over the clerks cage, and landed on the floor. The next thing Marian knew, she was laying on her back looking at the sun through a haze of black smoke. She dimly recalled, now, a bang, and a flash, and a feeling of intense heat. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn't hear over it. She felt something warm and wet on her face and chest. She tried to raise her hand to her face but couldn't seem to make it move. She raised her head and looked down, and saw something she couldn't quite understand. Her arm wasn't there, and the ground was covered in a spreading pool of red. She lay her head back down, suddenly feeling tired, and saw, in the air, paper money, floating lazily down with the clown's fliers. The last thing she heard before sleep claimed her, was his giggling laugh, fading into the distance...


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2:

JADED

After the mess of the blast area was cleared away, Merlin went to see the king. King Cormac Pendragon, descendant of Arthur himself, was a striking Hart, if a bit indecisive of nature. He stood next to the fireplace in the Round Hall, where Arthur's famous table had been reproduced after the fire that destroyed the castle the day Arthur and his Queen were slain. "Your Majesty," Merlin said, bowing deeply. The king turned to face the owl, and nodded wearily. "Merlin. What news do you bring of this tragedy?" Merlin stood and looked at his king. "Bad news, and strange. It seems the blast was not magical in origin...it was scientific. Traces of chemicals were found around the site. They appear to be that of Nitroglycerine, a powerful explosive used during the time of man." The king looked surprised. "Man? You don't think...?" Merlin shook his head. "No, your Majesty, I do not think we are dealing with a man. However, I _do _think that we are dealing with someone who, somehow, someway, has found the old sciences used by man...Your Majesty, this could prove very dangerous. If word got out, panic could spread..." Cormac shook his head. "Merlin, as you well know, perhaps better than any, Earth has been through much, over the last three centuries, and Anglorum has been at the center of it all. With the Thornbringer rising, under Crowfoot, and the madbeast Alban, who murdered my ancestors and burned half of Camelot to the ground, and now the Cult of Zaraster, which has always been there, is raising it's head again...I don't think one beast blowing up banks, science or no science, is going to panic our people. We're simply too jaded." With that, the king dismissed Merlin, who walked back to the Grand Library, fear and worry in his heart.

Chern mic Briga was a Knight, and an ex-member of the King's Guard. Now, he simply wished to live in peace. He settled back on the porch of his home, in the eastern plains of Anglorum, and looked out over this year's harvest. The corn was growing nicely, and the carrots and pumpkins. He was a tall, blue eyed Hart, who could be handsome, were it not for the long scar running down one side of his face. He had heard of some trouble in Camelot, a few days before. Something about an explosion. Probably the wretched Zarasterians, again. Sometimes it made him want to fight. Then he would look out over his crops, and he would smile and calm down. He leaned his head back in the cool morning air, and felt sleep begin to claim him. Normally he dreamed pleasantly, but now it was different. His dream was strange, and frightening. He was at a circus, in the center ring, and the clowns were dancing around him, laughing. At first it all seemed ordinary, until he looked up and saw that the decorations were bodies, hanging, mutilated from the ceiling. He awoke in a cold sweat, panting, and felt that he had seen something prophetic...


	4. Chapter 3

_Note: Certain lyrics in this chapter taken from "You and me", Copyright: Alice Cooper._

CHAPTER 3:

MAYHEM

Merlin stepped into the section of the dungeon that was reserved for those who were mentally unstable. They had captured a new subject, and he was interested in what they could tell him about her. The doctor, a Bounder named Riley, explained as he led Merlin down the corridors. "Her name is Esper Furioso. A sad case, her's. She and her brother, Eon, were captured by bandits when they were young. The bandits were led by a sadist named Kars, whose favorite color was purple. He took her because her eyes were violet, but didn't think it enough, so he had her dyed bright purple to match. He used her as a slave. Her brother was thrown to the men, who raped him repeatedly before lowering him feet first into a cauldron of boiling oil, all while she watched..." Merlin snerled his nose in disgust at the foulness of such people. How could they do such things to someone so young? According to the doctor Esper was only about seventeen now, and she had escaped her captors several years before. Not, unfortunately, before her mind had been warped. Now she was a sado-masochist, reveling the giving and receiving of pain, as well as a psychopath who had removed Kars' face with a handmade stone knife, before slitting his throat and making her escape. They walked up to the door of her cell and looked in. She was a young Feline; her fur permanently dyed bright purple. She set, chained for her own protection, in the corner, looking at the floor dejectedly. _So sad, _he thought, _for someone so young to be so ill-used... _

A few hours later, Merlin was gone, the sun was down, and Esper sat in her cell, contemplating what wondrous things she could do to the ones who had taken her. She was interrupted in these thoughts, however, when something small fell through the tiny window above her head and landed in her lap. It was a vial of some shiny, clear liquid. She could move her hands enough to pick it up, and did so. There was a piece of paper tied to it, which she undid and looked at. There was large, childish looking writing on it.

Drink THIS NOW PLEASE

She blinked, but undid the stopper in the vial, and sniffed of the sweet scent of the liquid. Smiling, she drank it down, and found that it had a burn to it as it went. No sooner had she finished it, then an explosion came from the way to the entrance, followed by yelling and a loud hissing noise. Soon, the yells had turned to gagging and choking, and another voice, high and filled with laughter took over, singing. "When I get home from work, I want to wrap myself around you. I wanna take ya, and squeeze ya, 'til the passion starts to rise. I wanna take you to heaven, that would make my day complete..." A shadow passed in front of the barred window on her door, and there was a click, and then it swung open. The first thing she noticed, was a large, green grin. The second was a body on the floor. The third was the keys to her chains, held in a bright purple hand. The voice spoke. "Honey...I'm hooommmeeee...Heeheehehehhahahahahahaaaa!"


	5. Chapter 4

_Note: Lyrics in this chapter from "Wonderful Toys" Copyright: Jim Steinman._

CHAPTER 4:

A PROPER INTRODUCTION...

Hanzo walked down the street in Camelot, his Katana worn in a sash on his side. He was a black Foxen, fairly handsome, in his own, modest estimation, though a bit shorter than most of the locals. He had come from the far east after hearing that there was much fighting to be had in the area. He saw this was the truth as he walked down the street, his eyes drawn towards a large amount of local guardsmen, holding people back from the bridge that led to the castle. He walked up to one of them. "Hey, bub. What happened here?" The guard looked at him for a moment, then "Somebody broke into the dungeon last night. Most of the guards and prisoners are dead. We're not allowed to release any more information than that, at the moment." Hanzo nodded and grinned. "Right, but what _really _happened? I mean, you don't expect me to believe that some nut just walked into the dungeon, killed everybody, and left, right?" The guard simply stared, and Hanzo slowly nodded, and shrugged, and walked away. "I need a drink..." He said to himself, and went looking for a bar.

Far away, in the Western Highlands of Anglorum, deep under the mountains, the Cult of Zaraster had their base. And the leader, a Foxen, the reincarnation of Zaraster himself, and therefore holding that name, walked through the tunnels, trailed by his high priest and priestess, as well as four large, skillful guards. They walked into his study, and stopped. Someone was sitting in his chair. It was a young Feline; her fur dyed bright, livid purple, a manic grin on her face. She wore bright clothing, like a clown, but it was less flowing fabric, and more hard leather, like armor. A pair of daggers were stuck into the wood of Zaraster's desk. "Who are you?" He demanded in a calm deliberate voice, but she simply grinned wider, and came around the desk, pulling her daggers out and holding them in her hands. He snarled, and gestured to his guards, and they ran towards her. She began giggling, and leapt into the air, landing feet first on one guard's chest, slashing her blades across his throat, she sprang back off of him, twisting in midair to land on the ground between another's legs, where she promptly sliced him deeply, leaving him to bleed out. She sprang to her feet, blocking the next attack, and slashing the guard's throat. The next one ran to her, his axe held over his head. As he brought it down, she blocked, and cut his wrists, making him drop the axe. She then proceeded to slash at his chest, three vertical lines, two diagonal, and two horizontal. Followed by a thrust, and a hard twist of the blade. She then spun him around, and kicked him towards them. As he stumbled, bleeding out, into the light, they saw she had carved _HA! _into his chest. She giggled sweetly, and licked the blood from her blades. Zaraster raised his hands, then stopped as a loud, manic laughter flooded the room. He looked around, and then heard a voice, singing. "I know what you're thinkin', well, forget it!" The Feline hissed, and snarled out the words in a repeat, "Well, forget it!" The voice continued. "I know what you're plannin', you'll regret it!" "You'll regret it!" "I know who you are, where you've been, and exactly what you're hopin' to be!" Zaraster snarled, 'Who's there? Show yourself!" At this, a figure, brightly colored in red, black and white, began spinning in and out of view through the shadows of the caverns, and his singing picked up pace. "They think they've been there, done that, seen all they can see, well, just you wait 'til they get a load of me!" The figure spun into the light, revealing a clownish figure, another Feline, in a long coat, colored in harlequin pattern, with a massive grin painted in green on his face, and his ears and tail tipped in the same color, a red nose, and purple hands and feet. "What do you want?" Asked Zaraster, and the clown grinned and turned to his accomplice. "Darling, would you do the honors?" "Certainly, honey!" She replied, and turned to them. "We are going to help you overthrow Anglorum...But...We'll need some help...Some things, and some warriors...Not these, obviously, 'cause they're kinda _dead..._" The clown continued. "They must be your most fanatical...those willing to do anything...unto death, for their cause..." Zaraster looked between them both, and asked "Who are you?" The female Feline grinned. "Call me Mayhem!" He frowned, and turned to the clown, who bowed deeply, but mockingly, and grinned even wider, if possible. "You can call me..._Anarchy! _HEEEEHeheheheehohohohooo!"


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOUR MAJESTY!

It was moving closer to the festival of Samhain, and the King's birthday. The preparations were nearly complete, and the invitations had been handed out to the citizens of Camelot. The banquet hall would be full, that night. The people would all be there to celebrate the birth of their King. Chern had been invited as well, and he was now getting dressed in his old uniform, and making himself presentable. It was to be a happy occasion, yet he couldn't shake a feeling of gloom.

Hanzo had picked up an invitation to the King's party, as well, from a beast giving them away on the street. Never one to pass up free food or drink, he went for it without hesitation.

The King and Queen stood in their private quarters, smiling, watching their teenage daughter, Brida, preen in her dress. It would be a wonderful night.

On his way up to the castle, Chern passed through the wagons of a circus, the performers prepping for the celebration. He shook off a feeling of dread at the memory of his dream, and kept walking.

In the dark of a circus wagon, Anarchy looked at himself in a mirror, grinning. He had added a fancy purple top hat, and a very "special" cane to his outfit, and couldn't wait to show it off...

Hanzo munched on some shrimp, watching the people dancing and laughing, listening to the local music and finding it strange, but catchy. He tapped his toe in time to it, and waited for the clowns.

In another wagon, Mayhem put the finishing touches on her new costume, thinking it was going to be one hell of a ball.

"...He didn't take any of it?" Asked Chern, incredulously, looking at Merlin, who had just told him about the attack on the bank. The old owl shook his head. "None of it, old friend. Who does that? Who attacks a bank, but takes no money?" _Who indeed? _ Wondered Chern.

Cormac called everyone to sit down at their tables, and then rang the gong to bring in the performers. As he set down himself, music filled the hall, and clowns back flipped and cartwheeled into the main hall, in front of a large stage, with a series of steps leading up to a pipe organ. He smiled as the clowns went about handing out bright red balls to all the children in the audience, including his Brida, who looked at it and snarled her nose, considering herself too old for such a thing. Suddenly the music stopped, and all but seven of the clowns went to stand behind the tables. The other seven formed a ring around the stage, upon which there was suddenly an explosion of smoke and light, and a female clown, dressed in bright purple leggings and tunic, with red face paint making a large grin and circles around her violet eyes, and bright orange gloves off setting it all stepped into view, smiling broadly.

Merlin frowned, looking at the female Feline. Somewhere under the make-up, she looked familiar, but he had no time to think about it anymore. Out of the cloud of smoke twirled a male Feline, dressed in a long harlequin pattern waistcoat, colored traditionally in red, black and white, with a purple lace shirt under it, a green vest, and orange pants. His hands and feet were colored purple, and his face was marked with bright green paint in a grin, and his tail and ears were tipped with it, as well. He wore a top hat and carried a golden cane with a large, round head. He grinned broadly. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Fans of all ages! We are tonight's entertainment! The Circus of a Thousand Lights! I am your Maestro, the Big Cheese, Head Honcho, Grand Pooh-Bah, and 'Lustrous Potentate, Anarchy! And this gorgeous creature is my assistant, Mayhem! Now...Let's get this party started! AAHAHAHAHAHAAA!"

Chern smiled, relaxing as the show started with no hitches. The seven clowns spread out and began dancing comically around, while the two Felines fell into a perfect, though exaggerated waltz in the center of the stage. One of the clowns lifted a cream pie from a table and through up onto the stage. Anarchy stepped in it and went sliding across the stage, to fall to his rear with a comical sound, as Mayhem turned and hit a key on the organ when he fell. He stood, and received another pie to the face, which he wiped off, sputtering, then licked off his fingers, and grinned, giving another loud cackle. "Yummy! HEEEhehehahahaahaaaa!"

Hanzo munched food and laughed at the antics on the stage. As things slowed down, and Anarchy had cleaned up, he turned to the King's table and bowed. "Your Madesty...Er...Your Males...Magots...Your Majesty! HAHAHA! For the next performance, I need a young helper, preferably a rather pretty one. I request permission to bring your daughter to the stage?" For a moment there was silence, then the King nodded, smiling, and she stood, and walked to the, at the age where she didn't want to seem too eager for things like this, but she was nearly bouncing. As she walked up to him, Anarchy grinned, and held out a piece of candy. As she reached for it, he threw his hand back and snatched the candy out of the air. "Mm mm...Goody! Want one?" He held out another and let her take it, this time, smiling broadly.

Cormac watched his daughter eat the candy, and saw Anarchy grin. Then the clown pushed his daughter slightly, and she stumbled back, suddenly seeming confused and tired. "Sweet dreams, lunchmeat...HhhhuhuHAHAHAHAAA!" As his daughter passed out, Cormac jumped to his feet, and Anarchy spun in a joyful circle, then stopped, while Mayhem hit a tune on the organ, and he started singing. "You...think...You've...been there, done that, seen all you can see, while just you wait 'til ya get a load o' me...Been there, done that, seen all you can see, well, just you wait 'til ya get a load o' me!" He spun backwards, and stopped, leaning against the organ, smiling. "You think you've been there, done that, seen all you can see, well, just you wait 'til you get a load o' ME!" He yelled happily and flipped the head of his cane, which split open, revealing a button and a thin antenna, and he grinned and threw Brida's ball so that it bounced from the King's table, hit the floor and rolled to the back wall. Then he cocked his head and said "The end" and hit the button.


	7. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6:

THE FIGHT

Anarchy strode down from the stage, Mayhem behind him, and casually spun a bench around and walked up it and over the King's table. The King and Queen were unconscious and bloody on the floor, as was Merlin. Seeing this, Anarchy strode over and bent down, putting his face right above the Owl's. "Aww, how cute! Ol' Merl's a-sleepin'!...Somebody finish him off." This last was said in a dark, quiet voice, but still with a note of laughter beneath it. As he and Mayhem strode out, her with the Princess over one shoulder, she wiggled her fingers at Merlin's form, and said "Toodles!" before following Anarchy out through the hole in the back wall, made by the explosive in the ball. Behind them, they left a room covered in the remains of any unlucky enough to be near the balls when they exploded, as well as two of their seven thugs, Grumpy and Sneezy, both eight foot tall Taurans.

Chern slowly pushed himself up to see one of the clowns bending down over Merlin, a steak knife in his hand. With a yell, he pushed himself off the ground and grabbed the Tauran around the shoulders, pulling him back, only to be twisted around and hit in the back by the other one. As his grip loosened, the one he held threw him off, then raised his hoof to stomp his skull.

Hanzo raised himself up slowly, groaning, and looked around at the carnage everywhere. Then, hearing a yell, turned to see a male Hart race up and grab one of the clowns around the shoulders. The clown had a knife, and Hanzo reached for his swords, before remembering that they were all disarmed before entering. As he saw the Hart thrown to the ground, he jumped up and raced forward, leaping onto the King's table, and jump kicking the Tauran in the side of the head, knocking him away, just as he was going to finish the Hart.

Chern looked up and saw a black Foxen dressed in a hakkama standing over him, his hand held out. He used it to pull himself up, rubbed his back, then turned to watch the two Taurans spreading out, going to either side of them. He turned, putting his back to the Foxen's. "Chern mic Briga. My thanks." He said.

"Call me Hanzo." He replied, then stepped forward as his opponent, Sneezy, rushed him. The big clown swung a hard right punch, which Hanzo dodged, using that movement to grab the thug's wrist. He spun, putting his back against Sneezy's stomach, and, taking a firmer, two-handed grip on his arm, tipped forward, trying to throw him. He froze, bent over, his leg lifted, trying to provide a fulcrum for weight that wouldn't shift. The bull was too big. He felt the clown's hand lock over his neck, then he was lifted off his feet, and thrown onto the table. "Ow." He groaned, lying on top of it.

As Hanzo moved to intercept his opponent, Chern did the same. Grumpy swung a fast left that Chern knocked aside, and followed through with a hard right jab to the bull's sensitive nose. The bull bellowed and stumbled back, holding his nose, and Chern stepped in with a pair of hard jabs to the floating ribs, feeling the left ones crack, then Grumpy reached out, snatched him up, and lifted him off the ground by about six inches, putting them face to face, perfectly. "Uh-oh." Said Chern, before being swung around and pitched to the floor.

Hanzo looked up and blanched, seeing the doubled fists of his opponent heading for his face. He kicked his legs up and rolled backwards to all fours. The hammer strike cracked the massive oak table, and probably broke something in Sneezy's hands, because he flinched and bellowed, and Hanzo leapt forward, springing off the table to land on his enemy's back, grabbing his horns and twisting hard, trying to drive the bull to the ground.

Chern staggered to his hooves, and only barely blocked two punches thrown by Grumpy, and missed the third. He flew back, coughing, his ribs cracked in turn. The bull rushed forward and swung a right hook, and Chern ducked to the right and in, grabbing his opponent's wrist with his left hand, while smashing a rupturing punch into his diaphragm, after which he pushed against the thug's shoulder joint while pulling on his arm, throwing him to the ground. As his opponent went down, he stepped in, aiming a hoof kick at Grumpy's head, but the clown was quicker than he looked. He ducked his head aside, letting the kick fracture the chair behind him, then grabbed Chern's leg, and pushed against his inner thigh, shoving him to the ground, and immediately followed through with a hard punch to the face, which instead connected with the floor, as Chern rolled left, came to his knees, and elbowed the bull in the face, before staggering off to the side to collect himself, before the thug could come at him again.

Hanzo hung on for dear life as Sneezy raised him up off the ground, quite a long ways. "Whoa, crap!" He yelled, then cursed more vehemently as Sneezy reached back, grabbed his hakkama, and flung him off of him. Hanzo hit the ground, rolled, and came again to all fours. With an angry bellow, Sneezy rushed him, arms raised threateningly. "Heh." Hanzo chuckled, and let him come, before reaching out, grabbing the loose clothing of the clown costume, and let himself fall backward, while planting a paw firmly in his opponent's gut, and sent him sailing over his head. The Sacrifice Throw relied entirely on your opponent's weight and forward momentum. The faster he is going, and the heavier he is, the farther he is going to go. The bull flipped through the air, landed head first and skidded, his neck cracking, before he slammed into a large piece of metal sticking out of the rubble of the back wall, impaling himself.

Feeling anger at the slaughter all around him, Chern lowered his head as Grumpy approached him, bellowing. The bull threw a hard right. Chern blocked it, and captured the thug's wrist. Grumpy threw a hard left, with the same result. Bellowing louder, he tried to head butt Chern, exactly what the Hart had in mind. Shoving his head forward, he locked his antlers around the bull's horns, then rocked his body weight back and forth, before twisting his whole body and throwing the bull to the ground, where a hoof promptly crushed his sternum, leaving him to bleed to death internally.

A few hours later, as the cleanup continued, and with the sound of weeping in the background, the Foxen and the Hart stood in front of the hole in the rear wall, looking out over the search effort they both knew was doomed to failure. Chern looked at the Foxen. "We make a pretty decent team, Hanzo." The Foxen nodded. "That we do...This guy pisses me off. I wanna see him brought down." Chern looked off into the distance. "I don't believe we've seen the last of him...Stick around, and you'll get your chance." Hanzo grinned roguishly. "That, my friend, is a deal!"


	8. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7:

MISUNDERSTANDING...

Screams echoed through the halls of the cult's base, and Zaraster strode through the halls, confusion clouding his mind; he had ordered no torture. He barged into the room the sounds were emanating from, and froze. "What the fuck is this?" He shouted, and Anarchy, his hands and face coated in fresh blood, turned around, holding a simple fisherman's scaling knife, also covered in blood. "Just having a bit of fun, Zarry, ol' chap!" "Fun!" Zaraster exclaimed, getting his first good look at the princess. The entire right side of her face had been skinned off, and her left ear was gone, the remnants marred with bite marks, and Mayhem's mouth was conspicuously red with blood. "W-What...We...We can't get any ransom for her in this condition!" He shouted, angrily, and was surprised to see Anarchy frown in comical confusion. "Ransom?" He said, then turned to Mayhem. "Did you say anything about a ransom, dear?" "Not me, babe'" She said, giving an exaggerated shrug, and Zaraster felt something he had never felt before, as he looked at the clown's happy, jester like appearance: Fear. "Look at you! You call yourself a religious fanatic?" Anarchy said, stepping close, an amused look on his face. "All you care about is money..." He reached out and gently laid his blood stained hand on Zaraster's shoulder, smiling gently. "...It's time for you, and everyone like you..." Suddenly, he shifted his grip to the back of Zaraster's neck, and pulled him close, bringing the thin, razor sharp blade of the knife up between their faces, his grin turning cold and dangerous. "...That there are much, _much _better things in life...Heheehhehahaahahahahaaaa..."

King Cormac sat in his throne room, drinking, while his Queen lay, drugged, in their room. He was trying to organize the search, while also trying to drown his depression. Merlin was in the hospital, a severe head wound keeping him down, despite the bravery of Chern mic Briga, and the stranger, Hanzo. _Oh, Gaia, I'm a fool. If only I had listened to Merlin in the first place! Maybe this wouldn't have happened... _He was brooding, and listening to reports, when the door opened and a messenger stepped in with a note. Cormac took it without a word and opened it, while the Knights argued about the best search protocol. He frowned and ordered them all to silence, and looked down at the paper in his hand. It was a greeting card, with a picture of a child's toy on the front. Written in large, childish handwriting, it said

IF YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER BACK,

I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW...

He opened it slowly, and frowned deeper.

DON'T HAVE A PANIC ATTACK,

JUST LOOK OUT THE EAST WINDOW!

_A._

He got up and walked cautiously over to the eastern window, and gently opened it back. For a long moment he stared, his mind not truly comprehending what he was seeing. He shook his head, and slowly walked back to his throne, where he sat down. One of the Knights walked over and looked out. "Oh...Gaia, no!" He said, and as though the words triggered something, Cormac finally realized what he had seen. His screams could be heard throughout the castle, as the ravens ate at his daughters skinned, crucified corpse...


End file.
